Sebastian Pisani
Sebastian Pisani (August 29, 1920 - March 13, 2011) was a Maltese soldier who served during World War II. Early life and family Pisani was born on August 29, 1920 in the city of Mosta on the British-administered island of Malta. His father, Alberto Pisani (1894-1974) was a cobbler, and owned a successful shop where he both made and repaired shoes. The family was devoutly Roman Catholic, and attended services at the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady together. At home, the family spoke Maltese, Italian, and English. Sebastian went to a Catholic boys' school for most of his early life. He usually spent his time not in school helping his father in the shop, but he felt that such work did not suit him, and he elected to enlist in the British Army. Military service World War II Pisani was posted as a rifleman to the 1st Battalion, King's Own Malta Regiment, the main British ground force in the Maltese garrison. Soon after he joined, however, the United Kingdom went to war with Nazi Germany, and with British concerns lying mostly in northern Europe and the home islands, Malta was significantly undermanned. Pisani was of a small number selected to go to Valletta to undergo basic officer training, upon which he would be given a commission. However, in June 1940, Fascist Italy declared war on Britain, and immediately began a massive aerial bombardment of the island. Pisani was given an emergency second lieutenant's commission, and the Maltese troops began fortifying their defenses. The Siege of Malta began as the bombing increased and Lieutenant Pisani and his men prepared for an Italian ground invasion. Based in Valletta, the soldiers of the Malta Regiment protected the Grand Harbour and the coastline. With the British forces decimating the Italians on sea, air, and land, Malta was not in serious danger. However, German forces began to arrive in the Mediterranean and the threat to the island increased. In January 1941, following a massive German air raid on Grand Harbour, Pisani and his men rushed to the aid of the surviving sailors. Throughout 1941, Malta was supplied by naval convoys. Pisani was involved in unloading and delivering vital cargo from the ships in the Harbour to Allied military installations and to the civilian population. With bombs falling on Valletta nearly every day, Lieutenant Pisani and the Maltese soldiers were greatly occupied with aiding civilians who had suffered from the attacks. Also, they were called to perform security duties at British airbases, which included fortifying and repairing the bases, airplane maintainance, and shooting at German and Italian planes. Malta was already being heavily bombed, when, in January 1942, the Germans and Italians stepped up their attacks on the Allied airfields, and Lieutenant Pisani's men were working around the clock to help the Allied air forces. The Axis were even more focused on neutralizing Malta as the island had become a sigificant thorn in the side of the Axis campaign in North Africa. In addition to their practical duties, Pisani and the men in the infantry conducted a series of training exercises. In April 1942, the Axis planned Operation Herkules, a German and Italian land invasion of the island. Lieutenant Pisani and his men stood ready to repel any invasion, but none came. Gradually, the Allies began to assert naval and air superiority over Malta. However, in October 1942, the Germans launched a massive air offensive on the island, which was repulsed by the defenders. Shortly after, convoys began reaching Malta with greater ease, and the siege was declared over in November 1942, with the Axis forces soon to be driven out of North Africa. Though the siege was over, Malta was still a vital air and naval base for the Allies. Lieutenant Pisani and his men were still called on frequently to protect the airfields and to act as security troops elsewhere around the island. The air raids decreased, and the last one came in July 1943, shortly after the Allies launched their invasion of Sicily directly from Malta. In September 1943, following the Italian armistice with the Allied powers, the Italian fleet surrendered at Malta, where Lieutenant Pisani was among those who witnessed the surrender and took over the ships. In 1944, he was promoted to captain. In January and February 1945, Captain Pisani was engaged in top-secret security work for a meeting of the top Allied leadership in the Malta Conference. The war in Europe ended in May 1945, concluding the Battle of the Mediterranean, in which Malta had played a crucial role. Later service Captain Pisani remained with the King's Own Malta Regiment after the end of the war. In June 1946, he and his men went to England to March in the London Victory Parade. With British rule over Malta coming to an end, British military forces were pulled off the island and Maltese forces had to pick up the slack in the defense. In 1951, the regiment was transferred from the British Army to the Malta Territorial Force, signifying the beginning of Maltese self-rule. In June 1955, Captain Pisani retired from active service. Later life In 1948, Sebastian Pisani married Claudette Troisi, a girl he had saved from an air raid in Valletta during the siege. From 1948 onwards, they lived together in il-Baviera in the city. In 1957, Alberto suffered a debilitating stroke, which meant that no one was left to operate the shop as Sebastian's younger brother was studying in England. Sebastian then took it upon himself to run the shop unti 1978, when he sold it. On March 13, 2011, Sebastian Pisani passed away. Views Pisani was mostly a supporter of the Labour Party until 1949, when he began supporting the Malta Workers Party. When the workers party dissolved in 1955, Pisani went back to voting for the Labour Party, until 1966 when he switched his support to the Nationalist Party. Pisani was in favor of integration with the United Kingdom, rejecting the hard-line nationalist position which demanded full independence. He also took issue with the anti-clericalism present in Labour politics. Equipment As a soldier in British service during the siege, Pisani used the bolt-action Lee-Enfield SMLE No.1 Mk.3* rifle, and carried a Webley Mk.IV revolver.Category:Soldiers in World War II Category:Maltese soldiers Category:British Commonwealth soldiers